Silver Lining
by AndiFish
Summary: A re-writing of the LHOP TV series episode, "Darkness Is MY Friend" For my purposes, it is also set right before the episode "Sweet Sixteen"


NOTE: This story is a re-writing of "Darkness Is my Friend." For my purposes, it is also set just before "Sweet Sixteen."

"Bye, Ma! Bye, Adam!" Laura called, waving as the wagon drove away. She smiled as her mother turned and gave her a wave and a wry smile. Ma was seated next to Harriet Oleson in the wagon. They had barely pulled away from the mercantile before Mrs. Olseon began complaining about the dust and grime, how uncomfortable it was riding in a buckboard, etc. Laura rolled her eyes and turned to her siblings. "Well, we best get to school." she said with a sigh.

"Pa, are you sure you and Albert will be ok if I stay with Mary tonite?" she teased as he walked along with them. "Course I'm sure, Half-pint!" Pa assured her. "We've already got it all figured out! Grace is staying with Mrs. Simms while I'm at the mill. Then Albert said he would cook supper tonite, while I look after Grace and Carrie." "Albert's cookin', huh?" she said with a grin, "I think I'll eat with Mary, then!" Albert gave her a good-natured punch in the arm and they all laughed. A few minutes later, Pa left them and headed for the mill. As usual, Laura detoured past the Feed & Seed while Albert & Carrie went on to school.

Laura saw that Almanzo was already hard at work, loading a huge order into his buckboard. She stood quietly and just watched him work, admiring the way the muscles of his back and neck rippled as he hefted the large sacks of grain. He was wearing the blue shirt today, her favorite! It made his gorgeous blue eyes stand out all the more! The morning was warm and muggy, and she could already see a sheen of moisture on his upper lip. He had removed his hat, and she noticed that the thick blonde curls at the back of his neck were damp. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up to his elbows to reveal skin, bronzed by many hours spent plowing in the afternoon sun. She wondered what it would feel like to softly run her hand over the curly blonde hairs that covered his forearms...

"Hiya, Beth!" Almanzo said, brightly, shaking Laura from her daydreaming. "I didn't see ya there. Gotta get this grain loaded and to Sleepy Eye 'fore 1:30." he explained as he wiped his brow. "Morning Manly!" she answered, hoping he hadn't noticed her staring. "I hope you make it back before this storm blows in. Pa said it felt like lightning was on it's way when he got up this morning." Almanzo scanned the horizon, smiled, and said, "Well, it certainly feels like thunderstorm weather, but there's nothin' comin' this way that looks too bad." He glanced down and saw she was worried. "Now Beth," he tried to console her, "I've done my fair share of haulin' loads to Sleepy Eye and back. I'm sure I can make it there and be home before anything too ugly blows up." He flashed a lopsided grin at her as he slapped his hat back on and she couldn't help but smile back. "I guess you know what you're doin'. Just be careful, all right?" she chided him. Still grinning, he nodded and said "Yes, ma'am!" touching the brim of his hat in mock salute.

Laura heard the school bell ringing and quickly waved goodbye to Manly before rushing off to school. She was halfway up the street when Almanzo called out to her, "By the way, Beth!" She turned back around to face him. "Yer hair looks real nice, all down yer back! It's been awhile since ya had it down like that." Laura froze in shock! He had noticed! He had actually noticed! Her face broke into a huge, ecstatic, smile! "Thanks, Manly!" she called back to him breathlessly. He waved and turned to load the last of the grain. Laura barely felt her feet touch the ground as she raced towards the schoolhouse. He had noticed!

Almanzo was half-way to Sleepy Eye before he realized he was still grinning. His thoughts were immediately defensive. Laura Ingalls was his closest friend in all of Walnut Grove...well besides his sister, anyway. Why wouldn't it make him smile that she was concerned about his welfare? But, then, a sliver of doubt overtook him. Why was it that he had so few friends the same age and gender in Walnut Grove? It was, after all, a friendly town. And why was it that the things he looked forward to the most were the conversations he had with a fifteen year old school girl? "Sixteen, Almanzo!" he reminded himself out loud, "She'll be sixteen in a coupl'a months." Startled by the sound of his own voice, Almanzo slowed the wagon to a stop on the side of the road. It was a shady spot, as good a place as any to take a moment and eat his lunch.

As he munched on the cold fried chicken Eliza had packed for him, Almanzo again began to ponder his relationship with Beth. She really had grown up so much in the time since he had met her. The adorable braids she always wore, now seemed almost ridiculous, especially after seeing her hair down this morning! Unconciously, he sucked in his breath at the memory. Oh the glory of that shining, wavy, mass of burnished, red-brown curls! He wondered if it would feel as soft and silky as it looked. She really was too old to wear her hair in those childish pigtails, anyway, so why had she continued for so long? Suddenly, Almanzo remembered a conversation he had with Beth the last time she had tried to wear her hair down. Could it really have been just one year ago? She had pointed out that she was getting too old to play softball with the other school children. Almanzo had disagreed, telling her not to rush things, and that there was nothin' cuter than a little girl in braids. Was that why he had never seen her wear her hair down again, until today? Did she really put that much stock in what he had to say? "Whoa, Wilder!" he groaned to himself, "You'd better be careful!" He was ten years her senior! How could he have let something like this sneak up on him? He remembered all too well how foolish he had thought her Pa was, thinking that he, Almanzo, could be interested in such a young girl. He now realized that her Pa may have been right to hit him! Yes, indeed, he had better be mighty careful! He needed to nip this thing in the bud, and soon. As he flicked the reigns to signal the horses to be on the move again, he determined to watch his step around Beth from now on. He was too old for her...and Charles Ingalls was a force to be reckoned with!

--

By 3:30 that afternoon, the sky had grown ominously grey and the wind had picked up so much that Pa was concerned about Laura walking to the Blind School later on that evening. "I'm just sayin', Half-pint! I don't think it's a good idea!" he said for the third time. "Why don't ya let me drive you over there in the wagon? It's not very far at all and I'm sure Albert'll be just fine with the girls till I get back." Laura sighed. She knew no matter how old she got, to her Pa, she would always be his tiny little girl, in need of protection. "I'll be fine, Pa!" she said with a note of long-suffering in her voice, "Like you said, it really isn't far at all, and it's not like I haven't ever had to walk in the rain before!" Pa still looked doubtful. She glanced around the room, wanting to make sure everything was in order. Albert seemed to be handling dinner pretty well and the girls were playing quietly in the corner. "Or," she suggested, "I could walk over now while it's still light and the rain hasn't started. You know how I love the smell of the air just before a storm!" Charles' expression softened as he saw his daughter's face alight with excitement at the prospect of spending an entire night alone with her older sister. He knew it had been hard on her since Mary had left. The two girls had spent many a night, giggling and whispering to each other into the wee hours of the morning. It must have been very lonely for Laura to lose her best friend and confidante. "Alright, Half-pint!" he conceded, "But I do think you should start out now, before dark." With a radiant smile, Laura rushed to kiss his cheek. She grabbed her shawl from the peg by the door and took one last look around to assure that everything was taken care of. Satisfied, she thanked her Pa and let herself out, a gust of wind slamming the door behind her.

Laura's evening with Mary was everything she had hoped it would be. After settling the blind children into their beds, soothing the fears of the littlest ones as the thunder and lightning raged outside, the two sisters had settled by the fire downstairs, munching on popcorn and chattering like magpies. It had been so long since they had been together like this! There was so much to catch up on, so many things to share. Laura told her sister all about the conversation with Almanzo. "I do hope he is home safe and out of this rain!" she finished with a slight note of concern. They were so engrossed in their conversation, neither of them heard the knock at the front door.

Suddenly, a figure cloaked in a large, black, rain slicker, burst thru the front door, startling Mary so much she screamed. "It's alright! It's me!" yelled a muffled voice before the hood of the slicker fell back to reveal the concerned features of Nels Oleson. "I'm terribly sorry I startled you!" he apologized, "It's just that when there was no answer at the door I got concerned. I didn't know Laura was staying with you while Adam was gone and..." "Oh, that's alright, Mr. Oleson!" Mary interrupted with a nervous laugh, "We were just chattering away and must have missed your knocking. Thank you for checking on us." Nels' concerned face did not soften. "Well, I am glad that I did come because I have a warning to give you," he said. "We just received a telephone call from the Sheriff's office in Mankato. It seems three bank robbers escaped the jail there today and were last seen hopping a train headed in this direction." Laura gasped and Mary grabbed her arm to shush her. "I came to tell you to lock up all the doors tonite and don't answer the door for anyone, unless it's me. It's probably nothing to worry about. Walnut Grove is too small to interest the likes of those men, but better to be safe than sorry." Mary shivered and then nodded quickly. Laura spoke up, "Did the sheriff say whether or not the men were considered dangerous?" Nels shook his head before answering, "No, no he didn't. But like I said, there is probably nothing to worry about. Just make sure to lock up as soon as I leave and don't answer the door unless it's me. I'll come back to check on you in a couple of hours." He smiled to reassure them. Laura's spunky nature kicked in and she forced herself to smile back. "Thank you, Mr. Oleson!" she said, "I'm sure we'll be fine!" After reminding them to lock the door once more, he vanished into the stormy night, and just as they promised, Laura fought with the heavy brass slider until it slid into the locked position.

The sisters had just settled down by the fire again when another knock sounded at the door. Thinking Nels had forgotten something, Laura walked to the door and innocently moved the heavy brass slider to the unlocked position. Instantly, the door was kicked open, throwing Laura to the ground. She scrambled back towards the wall as two rough looking men barged in carrying a third man who was bleeding profusely from a gunshot wound to the leg.

--

The leader of the group, who had identified himself only as "Hank", waved his gun around in Laura's face. "I said move it girl!" he roared, "We gotta get my brother to a bed 'fore he bleeds to death!" Mary was cowering in a corner, pleading with Laura for some kind of explanation. Laura had pressed herself against the wall, trying in vain to escape that waving revolver. "P-p-please!" she stammered, "My sister is blind! She doesn't know what is going on! Please, just give me a minute to explain to her. She's a teacher here at the blind school, and she will know where the nearest empty bed is!" Hank looked surprised for a moment, and then grudgingly nodded his head. Laura reached for her sister's hand and squeezed it tight, trying to lend some kind of comfort. She shakily explained to Mary what had happened and asked where the nearest empty bed was. Mary, gathering her courage, straightened her shoulders, lifted her chin, and nodded mutely. "Follow me." she said, with all the quiet dignity she could muster. She led them upstairs and down the hall.

Hank's brother, "Joe," was pale and perspiring. When his injured leg was jostled while settling him on the bed, he screamed in pain before passing out. Hank elevated the leg and gingerly examined the wound. The bleeding, which had slowed some while they were waiting in the foyer of the bind school, had begun again in earnest, due to the bump joe had received from the bed. Hank turned on Laura, stuck his gun in her face and demanded, "You got a doctor in this godforsaken place?" Her doe-brown eyes were huge with terror, unable to look away from the barrel of the revolver. She tried to answer him but the words stuck in her throat. Finally, she simply nodded her head. He grabbed her arm and roughly spun her around. Shoving her through the bedroom door and out into the hallway, he ordered her to go for the doctor. She heard Mary cry out from the bedroom and spun around to see that Hank had his arm around her sister's throat. He had the pistol pressed against her temple. "You find that doctor, girl!" he growled menacingly, "Or this will be the last time you see your sister alive! And don't you be tellin' anybody 'bout what's goin' on in here! You tell the Doc yer sister's sick or somethin'. I don't care what ya gotta do, jus' get him here! And fast!"

Laura raced thru the black, wet, night, down the lane, away from the Blind School. She had to find Doc Baker! She just had to! Within minutes of leaving, her dress was soaked through, and her long brown hair was a sodden mess. Rivulets of rain water poured down her face, mixed with her tears, making it nearly impossible to see in the darkness. Several times she tripped over some unknown obstacle and went sprawling into the mud, face first. But each time, she scrambled back up and continued her desperate flight.

When she reached Doc Baker's office, her side was aching, and her lungs were gasping for air. She tripped over the front step and nearly went down again, but managed to grab the railing and keep herself upright. Praying that the doctor was home, Laura pounded loudly on the door. There was no answer. She tried again. Still there was no answer. Near hysteria, she pounded on the door with both fists, screaming for Doc Baker to answer the door. She rattled the doorknob desperately, but it was locked up tight. She pressed her fists to her eyes in frustration. What was she going to do? She sat on the step for a moment, catching her breath and trying to think, as water ran, unheeded, in a constant torrent down her forehead and face. A clap of thunder, and a mighty flash of lightning hit almost simultaneously when a thought came to her: Pa! She should go for her Pa! He would know what to do! Instantly, she was on her feet, rushing back out to the road, as the storm raged on.

Almanzo Wilder slouched low in the seat of his buckboard, his shoulders hunched to keep the rain that dripped incessantly from the brim of his hat from going down the inside collar of his slicker. Cold, tired, and wet, he grumbled at himself for not listening to Laura's warning that morning. At least he was almost home, now, he told himself as he began to dimly recognize the familiar buildings that lined the main road into Walnut Grove. As expected, there was no one out and about in the miserable weather, and Almanzo struggled to see the road thru the darkness. He was reaching for his lantern, to adjust it higher, when he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. Before he had a chance to react, one of the horses, Barnum, whinnied sharply and veered to the right, almost toppling the wagon as it came up on two wheels, trying to accommodate the turn. Almanzo managed to keep from falling off and hauled the team to a stop. "What on earth?!" he exclaimed as he scrambled from his seat to the ground. Holding the lantern high, he slogged thru the mud to the front of his team and looked around. What had caused Barnum to veer so sharply? Then he saw a small figure huddled in the middle of the muddy road. It was a woman!

Quick as lightning, Almanzo had knelt at her side, trying to help her stand up. "Ma'am!" he asked anxiously, "Are you alright? I'm so sorry 'bout that! I couldn't see ya thru all this rain! What on earth are ya doin' out in this weather?" It was too dark to see her face, so Almanzo was shocked to hear a familiar voice cry out with a gasp, "Manly!" "Beth?!" he cried incredulously, "Beth, is that you?!" Before the words were out of his mouth, she collapsed against his chest sobbing hysterically. His mind reeling with a thousand questions, Almanzo held her gently and let her cry. He could feel her trembling in his arms and a surge of protectiveness coursed thru his veins. He hugged her tighter against him, trying to warm her small body by enfolding her with the front of his coat. He whispered low, soothing, words of comfort in her ear, waiting for the tears to subside. When she was calmer, he led her to the wagon and helped her up onto the seat. He climbed up beside her and wrapped her in a soggy wool blanket. He knew she needed to get warm, or risk getting seriously ill. Without thinking, he drove the wagon the short distance to the Feed and Seed.

When they were inside and out of the rain, Almanzo settled Laura on a stack of crates, still swaddled in the blanket, and went to light a lamp. He hung the lamp on a nail in the wall and took off his dripping slicker and hat. Throwing these over a chair to dry, he went and crouched in front of Laura. She was shivering violently. He laid a gentle hand on her knee and said, "Now, do ya wanna tell me what this is all about?" She reached out and grasped his arm desperately. "Oh Manly! You've just got to help me!" she explained and the tears came again. "Shhhh!" he whispered soothingly, drawing her head to his chest. "I'm here! It's gonna be ok, Beth! I'm here! And I promise ev'rything'll be alright!" She raised her head, clutching the front of his shirt in her fist. "Manly," she cried, "Three men came to the blind school! I was staying with Mary tonite and three men came. They have guns, Manly! One of them's been shot in the leg and they ordered me to go get Doc Baker, but he isn't in his office! He isn't there! And if I don't come back with a doctor they're gonna kill Mary! They're gonna kill her!" Her beautiful, deep, brown eyes were huge with terror, as tears coursed, unchecked, down her freckled cheeks. His heart pounded with rage and fear at what had happened and what could still happen to her. His arms came around her again, and she buried her face in the rough fabric of his shirt.

Suddenly, he pulled away from her and released his arms. He looked her squarely in the face and said, "Beth, I'm gonna do whatever I can to help ya. But I don't know if I can do it alone! When there are guns involved, ya just can't take chances." "But, Manly!" Laura cried, "It's late! Everyone's gone to bed by now! Who are you gonna be able to get at this hour? Besides, there's no time! I've got to get back to the Blind School or they'll think I've gone and snitched and do, no telling what, to Mary!" Almanzo's gaze locked with hers for a moment before he nodded, grimly. "Alright!" he said and rushed to put his slicker and hat back on, "If what you say is true, then we have no choice!" He came to face her again. "Listen to me, Beth!" he said gravely, "I need ya to be strong right now! I know this has been terribly frightening for ya, but if I'm gonna do this, I'm gonna need yer help. Can ya be strong for me?" She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. She brought her chin up and straightened her shoulders bravely. Forcing a tremulous smile, she answered him, "Yes Manly!" Almanzo's eyes glowed and his heart leapt with admiration at her spunk. He nodded and gave her a smile of encouragement. "That's my girl!" he said, proudly, and Laura felt the warmth begin to return to her limbs. Without another word, Laura took his hand in hers. A spark of awareness fluttered thru Almanzo's body when their fingers touched, but he was too focused on the dangerous situation at hand to pay much heed. Together, they left the relative sanctuary of the Feed & Seed, and climbed into the buckboard, before racing back towards the Blind School.

--

Hank opened the door slowly, cautiously, and saw Laura standing there with a tall man, wrapped in a dark slicker. "Laura," the tall man asked, gravely, " who is this man? I thought you brought me to treat Mary!" Before Almanzo could say more, Hank grabbed him by the shoulder and roughly dragged him inside.

"Don't ya worry 'bout it Doc!" Hank said with a sneer, "I sent the girl for ya 'cause we got a injured man that needs treatin'." Hank peered into Almanzo's face and scowled. "Ya look way too young to be a doctor!" he said, as his hand went to the gun on his hip. Quick as lightning, Hank grabbed Laura around the throat and thrust his gun to her temple. "Now, whoever ya are," Hank growled, " Yer gonna go help my brother. And yer not gonna give me any trouble...or this pretty little girl's gonna be the first to die!" Laura's face was white with terror. Tears streamed silently down her face as she desperately fought the urge to scream. Almanzo looked into her huge, doe-brown eyes, and was filled with silent rage. He turned and nodded grimly at Hank. "I'll do whatever I can for him"

Hank insisted that Almanzo walk in front. He followed closely behind, Laura held tightly against his chest, his revolver still pressed against her temple. As they entered the bedroom, Almanzo saw the man laying on the bed and Mary sitting in a corner. Her hands were tied. She turned beautiful, yet, vacant eyes towards them.

"So this is the patient," Almanzo said loudly, hoping Mary wouldn't give him away. He dared not look in her direction. When she remained silent, he took a deep breath and pretended to examine the bullet wound in the prostrate man's leg. The bile rose up in his throat and his stomach turned queasy as he saw the amount of blood. "This, uh, this looks pretty bad!" Almanzo said, trying to sound clinical. "I'll need to clean the wound before I can accurately asses the damage." He couldn't believe the words that were coming out of his mouth! He was a country farmer, not a doctor! With a silent prayer of gratitude sent towards the heavens, he continued. "I'll need a pot of hot water, vinegar, and a clean cloth. I'll also need bandages. A clean sheet, torn into strips, will work."

Hank shoved Laura over to the other bandit, who up to this point, had been sullen and silent. "Jeb, take the girly downstairs and make sure she brings the Doc what he asked for!" Hank said curtly. Jeb just nodded and grabbed Laura's shoulder in an icy grip. He peered into her face and smiled slowly. "C'mon, perty one!" he jeered, "let's you an' me take a little walk!" The look in his eyes made Almanzo want to kill him. Laura shook her head and tried to back away. Jeb just shoved her out the door with an evil chuckle.

--

Silently, the minutes ticked by. Almanzo's every nerve was raw, his muscles taut with tension, as he strained to hear any sound of Jeb and Laura's return. Hank glowered in the corner, his black eyes burning suspicious holes in Almanzo's back, while Mary paced quietly on the other side of the bed. Suddenly, she turned towards Hank. "I - I need to check - on the- on the children." she stuttered nervously, "They will be frightened by all the noise!"

Hank's harsh, short laugh was like a slap in the face. "Them kids aint made a sound, girl!" he told her. "Don't ya think I know what yer really after? Lookin' fer a way ta pull one over on me? No-oo! Yew jist settle yerself down and git used to waitin' cause I aint lettin' you outta my sight!...And yew neither!" Hank finished, angrily pointing his gun towards Almanzo.

Just then, a noise sounded from somewhere downstairs that caused Almanzo's blood to run cold. It was Laura, screaming, followed by Jeb's roar of wicked laughter. Almanzo spun to face Hank. Clenching his fists, he fought for control of his raging emotions. "Mister, we don't have time for your partner to be messin' around with the girl! I need those supplies right now!" he said with a note of desperation in his voice. Thankfully, Hank seemed to agree and hollered into the hallway. "Jeb! Git up here with them -" But he never got to finish his sentence for Almanzo had taken advantage of Hank's moment of distraction and tackled him to the ground. The two men grappled for a few moments, each one desperate for the upper hand. Finally, Almanzo saw his opportunity and threw a punch with all his might. Hank's body went limp and his hand released the gun. Quick as lightening, Almanzo had the gun in his hands. "Mary!" he cried urgently, "pull the blanket from the bed! Tear it into strips and tie Hank's arms and legs as tight as you can! I've got to save Beth!" He paused only for a moment to make sure that Mary was doing what he asked and then rushed from the room.

--

Jeb's leering grin was so close to Laura's tear-stained face that she could smell his rotting breath. He had her backed against the wall in the parlor, one arm cruelly pinned behind her, and the other held captive in his big greasy hand. "Yer such a perty little thing!" he whispered, his eyes unnaturally bright, "Ya got spunk, too! I likes 'em spunky!" Laura shut her eyes tight and shook her head desperately. Jeb's evil chuckle sent shards of absolute terror thru her heart. His big, meaty hands began to paw at her body and she screamed again, only to be silenced by his slap to her face. She choked down a sob as she tasted blood, the side of her face feeling like it was on fire. When Jeb pressed his foul mouth to her neck, she shrank inwardly until it seemed she was no longer inside of her body, but rather a bystander, watching from a distance.

Vaguely, she thought she heard a distant roaring sound, and then suddenly, Jeb was no longer there. As she slowly became aware of her surroundings again, she realized that the roar she had heard had been the enraged cry of her beloved Almanzo. Blind with fury, he had charged the bigger man with the full force of his body. The two had toppled to the ground and were now entangled in a violent and bitter struggle for supremacy. Both men threw several effective punches, bloodying each other, as they both tried to reach the gun that had gone flying when Almanzo had tackled Jeb.

Laura knew fresh fear as she watched the man she loved fighting for his life against the evil bandit. She shook herself, mentally, trying to recover her hazy senses, and looked around for something to use as a club. She couldn't just stand by and watch the horrifying struggle. Then she spotted the gun, lying on the floor just out of Jeb's reach. She saw Almanzo desperately trying to keep Jeb from getting a hand on it. Her feet propelled her forward, and a moment later, she found herself holding the ugly, black, revolver, and pointing it directly at Jeb's head. "Hey!" she hollered, taking a step towards the men on the floor. They both looked up in surprise. "You might as well give up Jeb!" she said,her voice sounding strange even to herself. "I've got the gun, and I know how to use it!" Both men were still frozen in shock. "Get up!" she ordered and motioned carefully for Jeb to move towards the wall. Almanzo finally recovered himself and sprang into action, grabbing Jeb's shoulder and slamming him roughly against the wainscotting. his adrenaline still pumping hard, he pressed his arm across the bandit's neck until Jeb's eyes began to bulge and his face turned purple. Almanzo held him there, his eyes never leaving the man's face, and spoke to Laura. "Beth, bring the gun to me." he instructed. "Walk slowly and don't get too close to him." She did as he asked, but just as she reached out to hand it over, there was a sudden movement from Jeb, and the gun went off!

For one horrifying instant, Almanzo thought Laura had been shot, and the pain and fear was so intense, he couldn't breathe. Then, in amazement, he watched Jeb's eyes roll back in his head and saw the man's body slump to the floor. He stood for what seemed like an eternity, shocked, yet so full of relief, he actually felt the moisture of tears in his eyes. Then he heard a small sound next to him, and turned to see two huge, haunted, brown eyes, fixed on the crumpled form on the floor. She was still clutching the smoking gun, her knuckles white with strain. As gently as he could, he pried it from her fingers and tossed it away from them. Gingerly, he reached out his hand and placed it on her shoulder. She seemed so terribly mesmerized by the awful scene in front of her, and the look in her eyes made his heart turn over. Finally, she tore her gaze away and turned to meet his eyes. Her mouth moved, as if to speak, but no words came. Almanzo felt her body begin to tremble violently beneath his hand, and unable to stand it any longer, he crushed her to his chest, wrapping her up in his big, strong, arms. The rush of emotions he felt were so powerful, he couldn't think straight. He scarcely heard his own voice, murmuring terms of endearment and comfort. He scarcely realized the tender kisses placed gently on top of her hair. All he could think about was how incredible it felt to have Beth, his Beth, safe and unharmed in his arms.

After what must have been many minutes, Almanzo heard a step in the hall. Instantly tense, he turned to shield Laura with his body, only to see Mary rush into the room. "Laura! Almanzo!" she called out in a terrified voice, "I heard the shot...and when no one came back to the room... are you here? Are you alright? LAURA! ALMANZO!" her voice was verging on hysteria now. "Mary!" Almanzo called gently, "we are right here and we are just fine." Mary's began to sob quietly in relief. Unconsciously missing the warm presence of Laura's body against him, he reached to pull her into an embrace once more. "I fought Jeb. Beth was handing the gun to me when it went off." He explained when Mary's tears had subsided somewhat. "Laura," Mary said, her vacant eyes searching the room, "where are you?"

Beth moved in his arms and instantly, the spell was broken. He realized how inappropriately he was holding his VERY young friend. He released her and backed away, trying not to show how flustered he was. Laura rushed to her sister and the two began to cry again as they embraced. Growing increasingly uncomfortable, Almanzo stuttered to explain that he was going to go upstairs to check on Hank.

--

A week had passed since Almanzo had rescued the two young women from the bank robbers. Walnut Grove had been in quite an uproar the next day. Almanzo had been given a hero's welcome at church on Sunday, and the Mayor had even given him a medal! Eliza Jane had been especially annoying, hovering about him like a mother hen.

As he sat sipping his tea by the fire, Almanzo smiled to himself. So much fuss! Why, he had only done what any real man would do, when facing those circumstances...well, for the most part, anyway...Niggling doubts assailed him, as his thoughts turned unwillingly to Beth. It was just the huge relief that had caused him to hold her so tight, he tried to tell himself. After all, she was his best friend! And she had been terribly abused and frightened that night! Any man would have tried to comfort and console a young girl who had faced so much...right? But then he remembered how incredible it had felt to have her in his arms, how perfectly she fit there, how he had thought his heart would burst from his chest when he realized that she was safe and unhurt. He closed his eyes and saw her gorgeous eyes, adorable freckles, and lovely bronzed curls. In his mind's eye, he saw her as she had looked on that following Sunday, wearing that soft pink dress that fitted her young curves so well. His eyes flew open in astonishment! Young curves? Good Lord! Disturbed by his body's response to his thoughts of Laura, he scolded himself. She's just a kid! And you're a man! Pull yourself together!

Eliza Jane, sitting in the chair opposite him, noticed his distress. "What's wrong, Manny?" she asked. Startled, his eyes flew to his sister's face. "Uuhh...nothin!" he said trying to convince her as well as himself, "Nothin'. I think I'm just tired, is all. Think I'll head up to bed." "But it's only 7:30!" Eliza said with alarm. "I know Liza! I'm just tired, alright!" he said, growing annoyed. Put off by his biting tone, Eliza let him go, but in her heart she was still very concerned. Her brother was acting so odd lately.

As Almanzo undressed for bed, he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. He paused to examine his reflection. His scrapes and bruises from the fight were healing nicely. He turned his head this way and that to assess his features. Blue eyes, blonde hair, normal nose. He didn't think of himself as particularly muscular, but he knew that he was fairly strong. As he examined the course, blonde, curls that clung to his bare chest, he frowned. "You're a big, hairy, bear, Wilder!" he criticized himself. He finished undressing and put on his night shirt. It was rather early to be going to bed, but he wanted to be alone, away from his sister's sharp eyes and prying questions.

As he climbed into bed, Almanzo glanced at the space next to him. He was, afterall, 26 years old. He had felt the stirring of his blood, the longing for the comfort of a woman. He wondered absently what it would be like to have a warm body next to him. Instantly, all he could see was Beth, her smile, her lips. He closed his eyes and swore he could almost smell the intoxicating scent of lemon verbena. The surge of heat he felt in his loins startled him. "That's enough!" he almost shouted to himself. What on earth was his problem? Was it some kind of delayed reaction to the danger he had faced?He decided then and there, that he would avoid her for awhile. Just until his crazy thoughts had settled down. Everything would be fine. After awhile, things would just go back to normal, and she would just be the sunny, sweet, spunky friend she had always been.

Yes. That's what he would do.

A few hours later, Eliza got out of bed to go get a glass of milk and was astonished to find Almanzo coming in from outside, chest bare, trousers and hair soaking wet. "What on earth! -" she started to ask but he interrupted, "It was too hot...in my room. So I went down to the creek for a swim." he explained in a rush. She stared at him incredulously. "Manny, it's after midnight! Who goes swimming after midnight?" Almanzo scowled at her. "I do...when I get too hot!" he grumbled. And with that, he headed back up to bed.

THE END


End file.
